1 Day Kid Friendly Travel Guide: Bayeux, France

The perfect spot to immerse yourself in WWII history is the French city of Bayeux. Part of the Bessin area of Normandy, Bayeux was the first town liberated in mainland France. Bayeux has plenty to offer visitors and makes the perfect base to ponder the Battles of Normandy. We put together a 1 day travel guide to Bayeux, France to help visitors make the most of their time in the city.

Travel Guide: Bayeux, France:

It’s easy to spend a full day or more exploring just the city of Bayeux. We were based there for 3 nights during our roadtrip and it was the perfect spot to see the city and learn the history of D-Day and it’s effect on WWII. During a visit to Bayeux, there are several things you should experience. The Bayeux Tapestry, Old Town, Cathedral and Memorial Museum of the Battle of Normandy are just a few of the sights to see.

What is the Bayeux Tapestry (La Tapisserie de Bayeux)?

 

 

Everyone we spoke to before and during our trip raved about the Bayeux Tapestry and it didn’t disappoint. The Bayeux Tapestry tells the story of the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and depicts the conquest of England by William the Conquerer, Duke of Normandy. The tapestry is a rare document inscribed on UNESCO’s “Memory of the World” register.

The 70 meter (230 foot) long embroidery is well preserved with surprisingly vibrant blues, reds and greens. Interestingly, it’s considered one of the first comic strips in history. Audio-guides are included with your ticket purchase and are available in 14 languages including a special kids commentary. The guide describes each panel in detail, telling the story of the battle of Hastings and points out features we hadn’t noticed in our examination. The tapestry tour lasts 25 minutes.

After the tapestry visit, it’s time to head upstairs to see the permanent exhibition room, educational room and film. The film is available in French and English and only lasts 16 minutes. It’s well worth watching as it gives more detail on the battle and the tapestry creation.

Duration of visit: 1.5 hours

Fees:
Adult: 9.50€
Reduced: 7.50€
Children under 10: Free
See Pass Bayeax Museum option below

Self-Guided Tour of Old Bayeux:

 

 

After lunch we started our tour of old Bayeux.  It’s super easy to explore the town using the free map of the Medieval town and following the bronze nail heads throughout the city.  Using the nails like an arrow, the top of the tree indicates the way to go and will guide visitors from one explanatory mark to the next one.

Fun Fact –
The tree represented on the bronze nails is the tree that you see at the beginning of each scene of the Tapestry of Bayeux.

At each stop, look for a sign explaining the importance of each destination. The signs are in both French and English making it easy for visitors to learn history along the route. The old city is lovely and amazingly the medieval part of the city only suffered minor damage by the events of 1944.

The tour will take visitors down many beautiful streets, pointing out statues and buildings, and take you to the cathedral, medieval ramparts, the River Aure, and more.

After visiting Place Charles de Gaulle, we realized how close we were to the Memorial Museum. We decided to change our schedule and visit the museum before continuing our tour through the old city.

*Place Charles de Gaulle is a large park that’s perfect to let kids run and take a quick break during the day.

The Cathedral

 

 

One of the stops during our tour of old Bayeaux was the Bayeux Cathedral, also known as Cathedral of Our Lady of Bayeux. It was consecrated in 1077 in the presence of William the Conquerer, Duke of Normandy and King of England. Unlike many cathedrals in Normandy, the Bayeux Cathedral was undamaged during WWII. Inside the massive structure, the stone walls feature interesting details. Spend a few minutes during your trip to wander the church and let kids see what carvings they can spot in the walls.

Duration of visit: 1.5 hours for old Bayeux and Cathedral

Memorial Museum of the Battle of Normandy (Musée Mémorial Bataille de Normandie):

 

 

The Memorial Museum of the Battle of Normandy traces operations which took place in Normandy from June 7, 1944 to August 29, 1944. It is the only museum in the region to show the month to month military preparations conducted in the summer of 1944 and explain the five landing zones of the invasion on June 6, 1944. The operations are described through photos, videos, maps, and war objects. On display throughout the museum are military relics including weaponry, vehicles and uniforms. Four tanks are on display outside of the museum as well.

Initially the kids were grumpy about us taking them to another museum.  We’d had a full day D-Day tour the day prior and they were in need of a break.  However, after awhile, they started taking us around to see or read some of the interesting information they had learned. K was, of course, most interested in the weapons and vehicles. Lucy spent a great deal of time reading the medical panel and learning why the survival of the wounded was so much greater in WWII than in WWI.

The film, Normandy 44, a Decisive Victory in the West, is based on archived images from the U.S., Canada, England and France. It traces the major operations of the Battle of Normandy and also includes maps showing troop movements. The film is shown in both French and English. The times of each movie are posted at the door. I suggest calling to confirm the time in English. We had originally planned to visit and see the 4:15pm viewing, but we arrived early, so we saw the 2:45pm film.

While we were all on a bit of information overload, the museum is well done and a must visit when in Bayeux.  It’s also near the WWII British Military Cemetery and the Memorial for War Correspondents.  Unfortunately, we ran out of time before we could visit these. We spent approximately 2 hours in the museum and could have easily spent longer if we weren’t keeping to a time schedule.

Duration of visit: 1.5 – 2 hours

Fees:
Adult: 7.50€
Reduced: 5.50€
Children under 10: Free
See Pass Bayeax Museum option below

MAHB – Baron Gerard Museum of Art and History (Musée d’Art et d’Historie):

Finishing our day was a visit to the Baron Gerard Museum of Art and History. Located near the Cathedral, it was the perfect way to end a busy day in Bayeux. Housed in the former Bishop’s Palace, the museum features works from prehistory to the 20th century.

While K isn’t typically impressed with art museums, Lucy was in her element. She enjoyed examining the paintings, seeing the clothing and hanging chairs, and fell in love with the lace displays. We eventually had to get her to move on, only for her to become mesmerized bythe Bayeux porcelain.

The touch screens with quizzes for children was another fun feature for young visitors. We only spent a little over an hour in the museum as it was almost closing time when we arrived.

Duration of visit: 1.5 – 2 hours

Fees:
Adult: 7.50€
Reduced: 5.50€
Children under 10: Free
See Pass Bayeax Museum option below

Tip –
I highly suggest purchasing the Pass Bayeux Museum for your visit. The deal really can’t be beat. Purchase the pass for 2 museums for only 12€ or 10€ reduced. Purchase the pass for all 3 museums for only 15€ or 13.50€ reduced.  The adult price for all 3 museums without the pass would be 24.50€!

Restaurants Bayeux:

We dined in for dinner during our visit to Bayeux, so I don’t have extensive personal feedback on which restaurants in Bayeux are the best. However, during our full day exploring Bayeaux we had lunch at Le Moulin de la Galette.

The galettes were delicious and the restaurant filled up fast. We were lucky to grab a table. We arrived right at noon, when the restaurant opened, but the inside seats were all booked. There were heaters outside, so it was nice and warm sitting there next to the river.

Bonus for kids – One of the options on the kids menu is a galette for the meal and a fancy crêpe for dessert!

Other options that were recommended to us:

• Le Moulin de la Galette, 38 rue de Nesmond, along the river, creperie > 15€ per person
• Chez Paulette, 44 rue des Cuisiniers, small restoration, retro-deco-vintage atmosphere = 15€ per person
• Au P’tit Bistrot, 31 ter rue Larcher, gastronomic = 15€ per person
• L’Assiette Normande, 3 rue des Chanoines, local products and traditional food < 15€ per person
• Au Louis d’Or, 35 rue du Bienvenu, creperie < 15€ per person
• L’Alchimie, 49 rue Saint-Jean, traditional food < 20€ per person
• L’Angle Saint Laurent, 2-4 rue des Bouchers, gastronomic = 15€ per person (lunch) / 30€ per person (dinner)

Where to Stay in Bayeux:

Since we were in Bayeux for 3 nights, we rented an apartment through Airbnb.  I can recommend Saint Jean Townhouse to visitors with older children. The apartment has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms but it located on 4 floors.  If traveling with young kids, it wouldn’t work.  However, for my family it was great, and most importantly, it was clean and in a good location.

New to Airbnb? Use THIS LINK and get a $40 credit on your Airbnb rental!

Bayeux is a fantastic historical city to visit. See the rare Bayeux Tapestry, learn about the Battle of Normandy, gaze at Bayeux porcelain and explore one of the few cities that saw limited damage during WWII. Bayeux is also a perfect base while immersing yourself in D-Day history and the final battles that allowed the allies victory in WWII.

Make sure to also read about our D-Day tour and even more detail about are Northern France road trip.

Disclosure: We were provided passes to the museums above by the tourism board. All opinions are 100% my own and may differ from others.